Elastic fluid turbine



S p 1940- W. E. BLOWNEY ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE Filed Aug. 27, 1938 Fig.

Inventor Walter- E. Blowneg, log 6) HIS Attorney.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 ELASTIC FLUID URBINE Walter E. Blowney, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 27, 1938,'Serial 227,153

.9 Claims.

The present invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and more particularly to turbines having an ahead section and a reversing section mounted on the same shaft for marine propulsion use.

In turbines of this type, when one section is rotating in its forward direction and doing work, the other section is rotated idly in the backward direction in dead steam. A considerable amount of heat due to friction or windage losses is generated by the blades of the idle running section. Dangerously high temperatures may be reached under these conditions causing damage to the rotor and blading. To prevent such overheating of the idle section, provision is made for circulating steam through the idle section in the reverse direction.

Such arrangements usually include various conduits and control valves which in marine installations are objectionable as further complicating the piping and adding to the total number of valves requiring attention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in connection with a turbine of the type described a new and improved structure and arrangement for effecting a cooling of the idle running turbine rotor section in a simple and efficient manner.

tion.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1, a turbine is" shown comprising a double-flow ahead section III and a reversing section II, the rotors of which are mounted upon the same shaft.

The diaphragms of the ahead section are secured in a casing l2 which in turn is suitably mounted within an exhaust hood l3 enclosing both turbine sections.

The elastic fluid is supplied to the ahead section through the inlet [4, and a chamber defined by the wall l5 extending between the hood l3 and the casing l2. Openings I6 in the casing l2 establish communication between the inlet and the annular nozzle chamber IT.

The exhaust fluid emerging from either ends of the ahead section passes into the'surrounding exhaust chamber, defined by the walls of the hood l3,'and from there to a suitable condenser, not shown, which may be mounted beneath the turbine.

Elastic fluid may be supplied through a conduit I8 and the nozzle chamber l9 to the reversing section II and pass therefrom into the common exhaust chamber and condenser,

The wall l5 of the inlet chamber is provided with a plurality of openings 20 communicating with the box-like valve chambers 2| defined by portions including the casing l2, and the walls 22 and 23. Openings 24 in the valve chamber wall 22 establish communication between the inlet chamber and the exhaust chamber. Valves 25 arranged adjacent the openings 24 control the elastic fluid passage therethrough in accordance with predetermined conditions of pressure. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the valves comprise a weighted disk 26 havinga suitably tapered face 2'! at theupper edge thereof for cooperating with the seat 28 provided in the upper wall 22 of the valve chamber. The valve stem 29 is slidably supported in brackets 30 and 3i secured to the wall 22.

With the ahead section l0 being supplied with elastic fluid through the inlet 14, the pressure in the valve chambers 2| will be such as tomaintain the valves 26in the uppermost position closing the passages 24. The elastic fluid supply will therefore be confined to the working passage of the ahead turbine section. The reversing turbine section II will, of course, not be supplied with operating fluid during'this period but will be running idly. Because of its relatively few number of stages, the windage losses therein will be slight and the ambient exhaust-fluid from the ahead section will be sufficient to maintain its temperature within safe'limits. When the elastic fluid is supplied to the reversing section II and cutoil" of the ahead section, the latter section, because of its greater number of stages, will tend to heat up due'to windage losses therein. As soon as the pressure in the inlet chamber drops to a predetermined value, the valves 26 will drop to the position shown in the drawing allowing communication between the inletand exhaust chambers. Therefore, when the ahead section is rotated in the reverse direction, exhaust fluid from the reversing section may be circulated freely through the ahead section in the reverse direction due to the pumping actionthereof. The

fluid pumped into the nozzle chamber I! will pass 4 type of spring biasing means may be used if desired. The arrangement shown, however, is a simple one and once adjusted will not require further attention. It will .be noted that the valve is located entirely within the turbine casing l 3, is out of sight and consumes no space other than that which the turbine would normally require.

In Fig. 3 is shown an additional modification in which the valves are so arranged as to be more readily accessible from the turbine exterior. The valve in this instance comprises a disk 35 carried by a stem 36 which is slidably arranged within a supporting member 31 depending from the upper wall of the hood l3. The member 31 is cylindrical in shape, having a bolting flange 38 at its upper end and a valve seat at its lower end which extends through an aligned opening in the valve chamber wall 22. Openings 39 allow communication between the valve and the exhaust chamber. The upper end of the valve stem is bushed in the cap plate 40 and projects therethrough, serving as a position indicator for the valve disk. The valve may be inspected or adjusted by removal of the cap plate, or the valve assembly may be readily removed entirely for replacement.

. Having described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an elastic fluid turbine having ahead and reversing turbine sections, a common exhaust casing substantially enclosing said sections, an elastic fluid inlet conduit for said ahead section extending into said casing, said conduit having an opening within the casing to constitute together with the casing a passage between the inlet and the outlet of the ahead section, and a valve in said casing for closing said passage upon a predetermined pressure obtaining in said inlet conduit.

2. In an elastic fluid turbine having an ahead turbine section and a reversing turbine section, a casing defining a common exhaust chamber for said sections, a conduit extending into said exhaust chamber for conducting operating fluid to said ahead turbine section, said conduit within said casing having an opening communicating with said exhaust chamber, and a valve within said casing in said passage automatically operable to the open position upon said ahead section being rotated by said reversing section to control the circulation of fluid through the ahead section.

3. In an elastic fluid turbine having ahead and reversing sections, the combination of an exhaust chamber common to both sections, an inlet conduit extending into said exhaust chamber for conducting elastic fluid to said ahead section, said conduit forming a passage to establish direct communication between the inlet conduit and the exhaust chamber, a valve arranged within said exhaust chamber to control the flow of fluid through said passage, means normally biasing said valve to the open position, said valve being adapted to be actuated to the closed posi tion upon a predetermined pressure condition obtaining in said inlet chamber.

4. In an elastic fluid turbine having ahead and reversing turbine sections, a common exhaust casing substantially enclosing said sections, conduit means extending into said casingfor conducting elastic fluid to the inlet chamber of said ahead section, a passage through the wall of said conduit means within said casing for establishing communication into said exhaust casing, and a valve provided in said casing for closing said passage on a predetermined pressure obtaining in said conduit means, and means movable by said valve and extending to the exterior of said casing.

5. In an elastic fluid turbine having a doubleflow ahead section and a reversing section coaxially arranged with said ahead section, an inner casing for said ahead section, an outer exhaust casing substantially enclosing said ahead and reversing sections, conduit means extending into said outer casing for conducting elastic fluid to the inlet chamber of said inner casing, a passage including an opening in said conduit means between said outer and said inner casings, and valve means arranged within said outer casing for controlling the flow of elastic fluid through said passage.

6. In an elastic fluid turbine having a doubleflow ahead section and a reversing section coaxially arranged with said ahead section, an inner casing including a nozzle chamber for said ahead section, an outer casing substantially enclosing said ahead and reversing sections for receiving the exhaust fluid from said ahead and reversing sections, a conduit extending into said outer casing and communicating with said nozzle chamber of said inner casing for conducting elastic fluid thereto, a passage including an opening in said conduit between said outer and said inner casings, valve means arranged within said outer casing adjacent said opening for controlling the flow of elastic fluid therethrough, said valve being normally biased to the opened position and adapted to be actuated to the closed position upon the occurrence of a predetermined elastic fluid pressure within said conduit.

7. In an-elastic fluid turbine having an ahead section and a reversing section, an inner casing including an elastic fluid inlet chamber for said ahead section, an outer casing spaced from said inner casing and substantially enclosing said ahead and reversing sections, a conduit extending into said outer casing for conducting elastic fluid to the inlet chamber of said inner casing, said conduit having an opening between said outer casing and said inlet chamber of said inner casing, valve means arranged within said outer casing for controlling the flow of elastic fluid throughsaid opening, said valve being automatically operable to the closed position upon the occurrence of a predetermined pressure within said conduit and automatically operable to the opened position when said reversing section is working to allow circulation of exhaust fluid through said ahead section. v

8. In an elastic fluid turbine having coaxial ahead and reversing sections, an inner casing including an elastic fluid inlet chamber for said ahead section, an outer casing spaced from said inner casing substantially enclosing said ahead and reversing sections and forming a common exhaust receiving chamber therefor, conduit means extending into said outer casing for conducting elastic fluid to the inlet chamber of said inner casing, the conduit portion within said outer casing having an opening forming a passage between said inlet chamber and said common exhaust chamber, and means within said outer casing for controlling the flow of elastic fluid through said opening.

an opening therethrough, and a valve arranged adjacent and controlling the flow through said opening normally biased to the open position and adapted to be automatically closed upon the occurrence of a predetermined elastic fluid pres- 5 sure in said inlet chamber.

I WALTER E. 'BLowNEY. 

